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jueves, 22 de marzo de 2012

Ravi Shankar on late former Beatle George Harrison: ‘He became like part of me’

Ravi Shankar became both a musical and spiritual influence on George
Harrison, as the two forged a deeply personal relationship that still lingers
with the sitar master: “He was so sincerely in love
with India and the Indian religion,” Shankar says, “because he was more into the
philosophical aspect of the old system. This plus music, we became such good
friends. He became like part of me. … I miss him very much.”

The late former Beatle first dabbled with the sitar on “Norwegian Wood (This
Bird Has Flown),” from the 1965 Fab Four album Rubber Soul, thought to be
the first instance of the instrument in a Western pop song. Later, in June of
1966, he began studying under Shankar. At one point, Harrison was living in a
houseboat near the Himalayas, while undertaking six weeks of intense
instruction.

Harrison subsequently made prominent use of the sitar in a series of Beatles
songs, including “Love You To” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” from 1966′s
Revolver, “Within You Without You” from Sgt. Pepper, on “The Inner
Light,” the 1968 B-side to the “Lady Madonna” single; and “Across the Universe,”
which appeared on 1970′s Let It Be. Harrison’s first solo album, 1968′s
Wonderwall Music, also featured the instrument.

“We became very, very dear to each other in the
sense that it started with my teaching him sitar,” Shankar said told The L.A. Times. “And then gradually I saw his interest in
Indian religion and more than religion, actually, philosophy and the old
culture. And I helped him get many books to read, and that’s how it started.”

Along the way, Harrison was also instrumental in bringing Shankar himself to
a broader Western audience. The former Beatle lobbied to have Shankar included
on the bill at 1967′s Monterey Pop Festival, included the sitar player in the
first major charity concert at 1971′s Concert for Bangladesh, recording
Shankar Family and Friends in 1973 and then toured North America with
Shankar the following year.

Harrison later included the sitar in the humorous Beatles tribute song “When
We Was Fab,” from 1987′s Cloud Nine. He passed away after a bout with
cancer in 2001.